"Wakey, wakey." Knockout said with a creepy smile as Smokescreen woke up. "What?" Smokescreen asked as he tried to move, but Energon cuffs pinned him to a berth. "If you're looking for your Phase Shifter, finders keepers." Knockout said and held the relic on his wrist.
"Enough prattling, Knockout. Hand me the final Iacon Relic now." Megatron commanded. "Yeah, I can't really help you. That's the only one I was packing." Smokescreen said. "Soundwave." Megatron said. "You got the wrong guy, chief. Optimus Prime's the one who can decode the Iacon Database." Smokescreen said.
Megatron smiled maliciously. "Ah, but you misunderstand. The final entry has been decoded by us. And according to our findings, it would appear I do indeed have the right guy." He said as the pixels on Soundwave's visor turned into Smokescreen. "The question is, what is it that you are still packing?" Knockout asked and used a data pad to scan Smokescreen, and found the final Omega Key in his torso. "Why, hidden treasure, of course!" He said.
"Smokescreen must have been taken aboard the Decepticon warship. Tracing his signal through its shielding will be impossible." Ratchet said. "Continue monitoring all frequencies, Ratchet. Far more than Smokescreen's fate may be at stake." Optimus said.
"I don't get it. How could Smoke be an Omega Key?" Bulkhead asked. "Perhaps he isn't the key, but its container." Ratchet said. "The other Iacon Relics were sent to Earth in pods. Why not this one?" Arcee asked. "When the Decepticons stormed Iacon, it may have been too late for Alpha Trion to launch the final Omega Key into space. At least by standard means." Optimus said.
"So Smokescreen assumed everything went black because he was hit by Decepticons -" Arcee started. "But Alpha Trion's the one who actually turned out the kid's lights." Bulkhead finished.
"It stands to reason that my mentor did not want Smokescreen to know what he was carrying in the event of capture." Optimus said. "And with a mobile relic, Alpha Trion couldn't possibly supply fixed coordinates." Arcee said. "So, the Big A slipped us a clue instead. Smoke's mugshot." Bulkhead said.
"The Decepticons got to Smokescreen first, I fear they have decoded the same clue." Ratchet said.
"Yet another of these identical relics? Remove it swiftly." Megatron said. "With pleasure." Knockout said and readied his saw. "I do so resent a finish flashier than my own." He said. Knockout lowered his saw towards Smokescreen's torso but then changed it back into his servo. "Made you squirm." He said.
Knockout then put a servo on his own arm, but it passed through like a ghost. "Trippy." He said. Knockout stomped his pede, and it didn't go through the floor. "And intuitive. Proper grounding ensures that its user won't phase through the floor." He said. "I said swiftly." Megatron said.
Knockout put his servo into Smokescreen's torso. "Get your stinking hand out of my gears!" Smokescreen said. "And gotcha!" Knockout said as he yanked out the final Omega Key. "Tell me the function of these relics." Megatron ordered. "Doorstops, shavers, bling. Beats me." Smokescreen said.
"Hmm. A pity this little gadget won't allow me to just reach into his Brian pan and pluck out the info." Knockout said. "Fortunately, we possess a device that can." Megatron said.
"Individually, each of these so-called Omega Keys is useless. Yet possessing even a single one grant's me tremendous negotiating power with either Autobots or Decepticons." Starscream said. He approached his terminated clone. "Still, imagine if I managed to acquire the other 5." He said.
Starscream imagined a revived Cybertron. "I could revive Cybertron and seize the throne as Starscream the First Supreme Overlord and Emperor of Destruction!" He said. He started laughing but got serious again. "But unlike Megatron, I lack the necessary infrastructure to enforce such a reign. No warship, no army, only my meager laboratory finds, a Ground-Bridge remote control, a single remaining does of Red Energon, and you, old friend, but I would all too gladly trade this simply to be restored to my former glory." Starscream said.
"While I am unfamiliar with the lore of these Omega Keys, Alpha Trion knew many secrets, and the ancients possessed technology that has long been lost to what we consider modern science. Whatever their function, this much is certain, we cannot restore Cybertron without all 6 Omega Keys in our possession." A memory of Optimus said. Megatron stood behind the group and smiled evilly.
"The future of our homeworld depends on it." Optimus said on the monitor. "That's a wrap." Knsaid and removed a cord from Smokescreen's helm to cancel the Cortical Psychic Patch. Smokescreen woke up as Knockout removed the cord from Megatron, and he woke up as well.
"The power to remake Cybertron as I see fit. I will pry the other 4 keys from Optimus Prime's lifeless fingers. We must find the location of the Autobot base. Patch in and tear apart Smokescreen's mind if you must." Megatron said.
"Me?" Knockout asked. "Who else? Do you think I would entrust you to see this key safely to the vault containing the other one?" Megatron asked. He left the room. "Once more into the brain pan." Knockout said. "No, not again! Stay out of my head!" Smokescreen yelled.
"Now, now. You'll only make things worse for yourself." Knockout stopped when Smokescreen managed to grab the Phase Shifter. "Worse how?" He asked. Smokescreen phased out of the cuffs and struggled against Knockout for the relic. Eventually, they phased through the wall, and Smokescreen fell to the floor and tauntingly held the relic. Knockout was trapped in the wall.
"Well, aren't you the clever one?" He asked. He tried to get out but failed. "This ship is miles in the sky and swarming with Decepticons. Do you really think you can escape?" Knockout asked. "Who says I'm looking to escape?" Smokescreen asked and attached the Phase Shifter to his wrist.
He ran down the hall. Knockout yelled in anger. A group of two Vehicons moved down the hall as Smokescreen phased through the wall and ran the other way. Megatron walked down the hall as Smokescreen emerged from the wall. Inside the vault was the other Omega Key.
He emerged from the wall and ran at Megatron. "Think fast!" He said and grabbed the key from his servo and phased into the vault. "What?!" Megatron growled. He punched a computer, and the vault opened. Smokescreen and the keys were gone. Megatron entered and pounded his servo onto the table, causing purple ice spikes to erupt onto the table from his anger. He roared in fury.
Smokescreen ran down the halls, but Vehicons blocked every path. "Oh, this isn't the way out?" He asked. The Vehicons fired, but their shots passed through Smokescreen and hit the others. Smokescreen ran through a wall and passed through an Insecticon, leaving it confused as Smokescreen ran through another wall.
Smokescreen emerged onto the flight deck but stopped when Megatron and multiple Vehicons appeared. "The keys." The warlord said. Smokescreen backed up but stopped when he saw that he was at the edge of the Nemesis. "A pity you are incapable of flight." Megatron said.
"Yeah, like I'm gonna let that stop me." Smokescreen said and jumped off the Nemesis. The Decepticons watched him fall.
"Smokescreen's signal, it's back online!" Ratchet said as the monitor detected the Autobot. "The kid escaped the warship!" Bulkhead said. "Smokescreen to base, I could really use a Ground-Bridge." Smokescreen said.
"Retrieve the Omega Keys, quickly!" Megatron said as he grabbed two Vehicons and threw them overboard. One transformed into its flying car mode while the other just became a car and screamed. "Flyers! I need flyers!" Megatron yelled, and two other Vehicons lept off the ship and transformed.
"Setting coordinates. Strange." Ratchet said. "What's the problem?" Chromia asked. "Smokescreen's telemetry data doesn't make sense. I can't lock onto his position." Ratchet said.
Smokescreen put the Omega Keys onto his back as the first Vehicon fired. He activated the Shifter, and the Vehicon passed through him. Smokescreen shot the Vehicon, and it exploded.
"I've isolated the problem. Smokescreen is in free-fall." Ratchet said. "Smokescreen, I'm opening the Ground-Bridge directly below you." He said. The portal opened. "Brace yourselves. I'm gonna make an entrance." Smokescreen said and deactivated the Phase Shifter.
He heard jet engines and a slightly red form of Megatron's star ship mode appeared. He summoned wind and blew Smokescreen away from the portal. "He's off course." Ratchet said.
"You missed?" Cyclonus asked. "Open another one fast." Jetfire said. "I hope proper grounding on this thing doesn't apply to actual ground." Smokescreen said and reactivated the Phase Shifter. The two other Vehicons chased him. Smokescreen phased through the ground, and the Vehicons exploded as they made contact.
Megatron flew over the wreckage. The car Vehicon yelled as he exploded upon contact.
"No." Ratchet said when the signal disappeared.
Megatron transformed with two Vehicons behind him. "Scour the wreckage! I want those keys!" He commanded. Underneath them, Smokescreen emerged from the rock wall. "Hey, Ratchet. I could still really use that Ground-Bridge." He whispered.
"Did I tell you?" Smokescreen asked back at base. "Destiny. Alpha Trion knew I'd keep it safe." He said. "Nice work, kid." Arcee sighed. Bee buzzed and held two digits. "It was the only key in Megatron's vault." Smokescreen said. "Then 5 keys are accounted for." Optimus said and held the relics.
"Then the sixth is still somewhere on the 'Cons warship." Jetfire said. "Unless Megatron never had it to begin with?" Arcee asked. Starscream appeared on the monitor. "A high-frequency signal with an embedded message." Ratchet said.
"Starscream." Bulkhead said. "'I have obtained something of interest to you which seems to be of no practical use to me.'" Ratchet read. "It's gotta be the Omega Key." Bulkhead said. "He's the one who blindsided me." Smokescreen realized. "What else could 'Scream be referring to?" Chromia asked.
"Yep, yep. There's more. 'Bring medical kit. I only ask for the surgical replacement of my T-Cog in return." Ratchet read. "Like we're gonna give 'Scream back his wings." Bulkhead said.
"Without the missing key, Cybertron will remain devoid of life." Ratchet said. "Broken record, I know, but it could be a trick." Arcee said. "It is possible that Starscream does not yet realize the significance of what he holds." Optimus said.
"And we do know that he's been incapable of flight for some time." Ratchet added. "The stakes are too great for us to not consider Starscream's proposal. However, we will take precautions." Optimus said.
A portal opened into the forest, and Ratchet, Optimus, Bulkhead, and Cyclonus stepped through. The rest of the Autobots had their guns drawn at base. "There." Bulkhead said when he saw Starscream. "Starscream, show us the Omega Key." Optimus said and aimed his cannon.
Starscream didn't move. "Give it up, 'Scream." Bulkhead said as they stepped closer. Cyclonus pushed Starscream, but they didn't know it was his dead clone. "We're too late. The T-Cog won't help him now." Ratchet said. Something moved past them at a frightening speed, and Starscream entered the base through the portal. "It would seem I have the run of the place." He said.
Starscream looked at a frozen Arcee. "Oh, how easy it would be to gut you." He said and raised a sharp digit. He lowered his claw and approached the other Autobots. "To gut all of you." He said. "But first things first, where does Optimus keep his keyring?" He asked.
He looked at one vault. "Not here." He looked at another. "Nope." He checked a third. "No." He checked the fourth vault and growled when he saw the frozen Airachnid in her Stasis pod. "I was wondering what happened to that wretch." He said. He checked another vault. "Do they think I have all day?" He asked and kept checking. "Ah, there you are." He said when he saw the 5 Omega Keys.
"Curius. Starscream has been deceased for quite some time." Ratchet said. "Well, how's that possible if je just sent us a message?" Cyclonus asked. "We have been deceived." Optimus realized.
Starscream fired a missile at the vault, and the door blew up, causing the sprinkler system to activate everywhere. The Autobots shielded themselves from the water. "Arcee, close the Ground-Bridge now." Optimus commanded.
Arcee did so, but time slowed down again as Starscream appeared with the 5 Omega Keys. "Now that I have your trinkets, I'm free to enjoy slitting your -" Starscream gasped when he saw Arcee slowly deactivating the portal. "But as I appear to be pressed for time." Starscream speeded into the portal as time returned to normal. Starscream emerged from the closing portal. He gasped when he saw the Autobots moving sluggishly. "Autobots, maintain positions." Optimus said slowly.
"I'm sorry, what was that?" Starscream asked, then spoke gibberish in slow motion to mock Optimus. "You Autobots think you're so superior, but do you know what you really are? Slow!" He said. Time returned to normal, and Optimus aimed his cannon at Starscream.
"The Red Energon wore off, didn't it?" The Seeker asked. "He has the Omega Keys!" Ratchet said. Starscream yelped as he aimed his missiles and fired. He started running and fumbled for the Ground-Bridge controller while holding the 5 Omega Keys. "Come on!" He said.
The Autobots fired as Starscream opened a portal and ran through. The portal closed before the Autobots could enter. Optimus changed his cannon back into his servo and screamed in unholy rage, and the others backed up a little as his scream echoed across the forest.
"We'll get them back." Cyclonus said. "The keys can be of no use to Starscream while he scrounges in the wild like some Scraplet. There must be something that we can offer him in exchange." Ratchet said. "The fate of Cybertron now rests in Starscream's hands, whatever his intention." Optimus said slowly.
"I beg you, my liege. Release me from this absurd predicament!" Knockout said. He was still phased to the wall. "No. You shall serve as a constant reminder to those who dare fail me." Megatron said.
He and Dreadwing walked into the bridge. "I cannot allow Optimus Prime to be the one to revive Cybertron. We will locate the Autobot base, invade it, and retrieve the Omega Keys!" Megatron said. "Been there, done that." Starscream said as he leaned on the main computer.
Megatron growled. "Please pardon my unannounced visit, Lord Megatron." Starscream said. Dreadwing grabbed his cannon, but Megatron put a servo on his shoulder. "But I come bearing a piece offering." Starscream held the Omega Keys.